Craft Fair Secrets – How to Make a Great Craft Fair Display

The Best Collection of Craft Fair Display Advice in the World! *

This article contains craft fair / craft stall display advice from Folksy. At the foot of this post is a list of links to other helpful websites for you to browse to ensure your handmade items are shown off in the best way possible at your next craft market.

WOW!…That’s the sort of reaction most of us would like to hear as someone spots our craft stall. If you have spent time and effort creating beautiful handmade items for sale, allow enough time to plan your display and do justice to your hard work. A display should complement and highlight your work. Here are a few of the most important factors to consider:

Brand your stall:
A craft fair stall can be first time a buyer sees your work, so it’s your chance to make a good impression. A coherent stall with strong branding is more likely to catch their eye – and make them remember you when you leave. Your stall should reflect who you are and what you make. So if your work has a vintage vibe, for example, reflect that throughout your display, from the tablecloth right down to small details like the lettering you use for your price labels, and how many products you choose to display. If your brand is eco-friendly, you could use recycled materials for your display. Or if your work is simple and modern, make your display crisp and uncluttered, and consider ditching a crumpled tablecloth for an alternative table covering. If you can, carry your branding through to your packaging too, so that when a customer buys something of yours they will be taking it home in one of your paper bags, accompanied by one of your business cards.

Theme your display:Picking a theme can help to focus your ideas and simplify your display. Think about who your target customer is, and work out a theme that will appeal to them and ties in with your brand. So, if your items are expensive, they will probably suit a more sophisticated display. If you make contemporary jewellery, maybe you could try displaying it on wooden blocks rather than on plastic display stands? If you’re selling items for children, make your display young and vibrant – you could use children’s books and a couple of vintage toys as props? But bear in mind that the theme should complement your items, not outshine them. Try to make your stand look as appealing and approachable as possible, so customers don’t feel too intimated to interact with you or your items. We’ve created a Craft Fair Display Pinterest board packed with different ideas to inspire you.

Build up your stand:You want people’s eyes to roam all around the space you have, not just skim across and move on to the next stall. So instead of lying your items flat, use furniture, props, boxes and shelving to create height and bring everything up to eye level. Adding height adds interest and gives you more space for your stock. It also means your stand and your products can be spotted from across the other side of the fair (and over people’s heads if your stall is busy!), which will help draw people across to your stand. Displaying things at various levels allows visitors of all sizes to view your items without stooping or standing on tiptoes! If you have a traditional market-stall set up, you could also hang products from the frame, or even erect shelves, sides and backboards which can be attached to the frame.

Pick the right props:Props aren’t there just to look pretty – they can also help you catch the eye of your target customer. Pick objects that fit your theme and that will attract your perfect customer. So, if you make ceramics, displaying one of your bowls filled with lemons, fresh coffee beans or peppercorns could help you attract someone who loves beautiful kitchenware and is a keen cook, and would be much more appropriate for your target customer than filling it with cheap sweets. Not only that, but picking the right props can also show potential buyers how they can use your products, and help that sale. For example, placing an old mobile phone into one of your phone cases will help customers instantly identify the function.

“I only have one real pet peeve about a craft stall and that’s a stall that has more stuff on it which isn’t for sale than the stuff that is. I saw one a couple of years ago selling jewellery and the stall had candlesticks and jewellery boxes and strategically placed silk scarves and glass dishes, like a proper diva dressing table. It looked lovely, but it was difficult to spot the jewellery casually draped here and there that was actually for sale :) Leanne from See the Woods“

Bring a banner:You want people to remember your stall, but also your company name. So it’s important to have a banner or sign on your display. Also, a customer might be coming especially to visit your stand, and a banner makes you so much easier to spot. You needn’t go overboard though because a large banner can be expensive – or time consuming if you are making it yourself. Think about your branding and your display, and keep your signage in line with that. Incorporate your shop logo or font, if you have one, to unify your brand.

Rather than having a huge professionally printed banner, which can look a bit corporate, why not show off your talent as a maker by crafting your own signage? It doesn’t have to be complicated – take advantage of your skills, so if you’re a printmaker, you could print a sign and hang it or frame it alongside your work. If you make textiles, you could sew or embroider a banner or spell out your shop name across some bunting. Or use old school chalkboards (or make your own using blackboard paint and plywood) as an simple alternative. Have a flick through our Craft Fair Display Pinterest board for more signage ideas.

Space:Use all your available space and “think outside the table”, so you can maximise the number of people that can be at your stall at the same time. Is it possible to add a stand to the side or in front of the table? (You’ll probably need to ask the organiser about this when you book the show, as sometimes there are extra charges for bringing a clothes rail or print rack). It may also be possible to remove the actual table and reconfigure your space so people can walk around your stands and racks. Ask in advance about the position of your stall too – if you are against a wall you can use it to hang your banner or display more goods (check with the organiser which fixings you can use first though).

Make space for your business cards:
Even if people don’t buy anything on the day, if they take a business card it could lead to a sale another day. So make sure your cards are placed where people can easily pick them up.

Price your work clearly:
Clearly label items and display a price list if possible (if you have masses of different types of items, a huge list will be far too difficult to read, so pricing each product individually is probably a better option). Customers may not want to ask how much an item costs in case they can’t afford it, which means that unless they can see the prices easily you might miss out on a sale. Take time and effort to match the style of your labels with your display and the type of goods you are selling. Beautiful labels will add to your overall presentation; shabby labels will detract from it. And make sure your prices and labels are legible! If you have terrible handwriting, print out your labels instead, or use a stamp to print them.

Show something inspirational:
Think of your market stall as your shop window. If you have something incredibly eye-catching and aspirational on display, it can draw people to your stall. Even if it’s expensive and doesn’t sell, that one very beautiful thing can lead customers to buy your other, more affordable, products, just so they can leave with a little bit of something you made.

AccessCan people reach your items? Do you want them to? Picking an item up or being able to get really close to it can only help with a sale, but beware of children’s sticky fingers – place your valuable items in elevated and stable positions. Or have some tins and boxes full of your less expensive products at the front for people to rummage through.

LightingA well-lit display will really help to show off your items, so ask about power points in advance. Think about the time of year, the event location and the finishing time too. If it’s a Christmas market, it will get dark early, so you’ll need more lighting than you would for a summer show, for example. Battery powered lights are a great option and available in all sorts of shapes, from tea lights that give off an atmospheric glow to spots and fairy lights you can string across your stand. The key thing to remember is that the light should illuminate your work, or highlight your best pieces, not blind customers!

Show people you are the maker:
Although it sounds strange, it’s not always clear to visitors that you are the maker, and that what you are selling is the fruit of your labour, not something you have just bought in. Depending on the event, some people will have no idea that you actually made that bead / printed that fabric /wove that scarf / drew that illustration. Try to think of a way to show them that instantly – it could be as simple as a small sign saying “all work made by me”, or you could display some of your tools, or even set up a mini demonstration. Be willing to talk to people about your work too – knowing how something is made, and having spoken to the person who made it, can be a huge selling point for buyers.

SafetyIf you make fantastic props, stands and banners, be sure that they are sturdy – not only to prevent your goods being damaged but also to ensure nobody gets hurt. Keep wires out of the way and ensure your table covering is not too long and your boxes are tidied away under your table and not causing a trip hazard.

Do a mock-up at home firstEliminate the stress of setting up on the day (especially if you’re tired from night-before making!) by planning your stall in advance. Ask the organiser for the table dimensions, and set up a space at home where you can practise your display. Experiment with what goes where, and look at it from the front as a buyer would, and then also from behind to make sure you have space for your market essentials (cashbox, paper bags, sales book, card machine etc). It’s also worth considering where you will stand – will you be behind your stall, or in front or by the side? If you’re standing behind it, have you left plenty of open space so you can talk to your customers without being blocked in by products? When you’re happy with the layout, do a little sketch or take a photo on your phone, which you can refer to while you’re setting up.

“I always have a practice, almost like a stage rehearsal, even if it’s the night before on my kitchen table. I like to see what fabrics/colours look nice together. I always put my best sellers near the front, work out what is going where. I like to use pretty storage to display my items, like cake stands, pretty baskets, nice holders for all my fabric hearts. I think it makes such a difference if things are displayed nicely and up to date/on trend.”Mary – Polkadots and Posies

There are lots more articles with craft fair tips and advice in our Craft Fair Advice series: articles ranging from what to say, how much stock to bring, how much to pay for a table, as well as craft fair reviews. We think you will find some excellent advice from the expert Folksy members we quizzed.

27 Comments

Great to see this article. I have a show coming up on thursday and it’s just re-inforced the need to get things sorted for then. I like the idea of pretty boxes to ‘stage’ the display but also think it’s important not to look too cluttered with too many pieces. I’ve been guilty of putting everything out and thinking less about what it looks like to the customer.

All great advice, mine could use a little more work and of course I completely forgot to take a photo of mine on Saturday, but it was pretty :) I’m back again next month so I’ll have to remember to do it this time.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for old drawers to help build some height. There was a lady there who has obviously been collecting small apothocary type drawers for a while and had them painted in very soft pastel shades. She was able to stack them like little clusters of shelves and move them around individually throughout the day as her stock sold so that she didn’t appear to have gaps on her stall. It was very effective and did her stock justice as well.

Wowee! What a plethora of clicky links! Ambassador, with zese leenks you are really spoiling us!…sorry that was a terrible joke!
I think my stall’s are pretty much still a ‘work in progress’ as I often share with a friend and it’s quite hard to find suitable displays for greeting cards without shelling out a fortune!
Great post!
Connie

Lovely to see one of my ‘Dress Rehearsal’ photographs too, I so love to play around with all the handmade items I have on offer, and judging from people’s responses on the look/layout of table, many say It really is very pretty, quaint, cheerful, and colourful, and which always draws my lovely customers in for a mooch, with a smile :0)

Daisymooo

Great advise, but i still don’t know what to use to display my items. I make lots of different things out of wood cupcakes, mushrooms, sweets, sculls, etc, and they are quite big and heavy, at the moment i just put them flat on the table and they don’t look very good, i have got a rail to hang some things on, but i need something on the table to display them better. Has anyone got any ideas of what i can use, i would be very greatfull of any ideas !!! Please xx

great tips! I have just got started with my display and it’s taken me ages to get right – but like another person said, its a work in progress. And the dress rehearsal is an excellent idea too – I lay out my table cloth to more or less the right size on the living room floor and lay everything out – its saves faffing on the day.

[…] creating a fabulous stall at your upcoming Christmas fair or market, but do read this more general advice on setting up your craft display too, especially if you are new to it all and feeling a bit […]

This post has some new and inspiring ideas, I’ll certainly be following lots of the links (and I’ve been doing craft shows for 4 years now!) I shall certainly be using the tip about highlighting one or two items on the stall with my lighting to create a spotlight effect.

Arlene Burke

I have graduated hat boxes in velvet but can be covered in a pastel fabric and other boxes that I can cover but I have doll clothes that must be hung. I am older and cannot lift anything to heavy. Do you have any ideas?